About Startup Europe

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The European Startup Event comes to Sofia. This time it will be about technology leadership, European ecosystem funding (more than €10 Billion in the pipeline) and growing your business. During the day startup leading founders and tech leaders share their learning, providing perspective and showing what it takes to build a successful startup. Are you joining?

More information on boosting the startup ecosystems in the Central and Eastern European EU Member States and Western Balkans

Featured guests:

Mariya Gabriel, Commissioner for the Digital Economy and Society, European Commission

Boyko Borissov - Prime Minister, Bulgaria

Ana Brnabić – Prime Minister, Serbia

Zoran Zaev – Prime Minister, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

Duško Marković – Prime Minister, Montenegro

Tomislav Donchev - Deputy Prime Minister, Bulgaria

Dr. Enver Hoxhaj - Deputy Prime Minister, Kosovo*

Simon Schaefer, Founder & CEO of Factory

Anja Monrad, Senior Vice President & General Manager CEE at Dell EMC and chair of the Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition Governing Board.

Previous editions have featured key influencers such as Commissioners Kroes, Oettinger, and Moedas, President of the European Committee of the Regions Markku Markkula or executives such as former Uber CEO, Travis Kalanick.

What you will find within the Summit?

Breaking news from EU & Tech Leaders

Get inspired from leading tech stars and EU policymakers. Discover new funding opportunities, including programs to support startups (Startup Europe, European Innovation Council). Learn how you can change the tech game.

Business first

It's about doing business deals. Meeting with investors, corporates and leading enterprises. Discovering how public administration from across the region and Europe can help. This is the place to be.

Ecosystem building - Networking

Startup Europe Summit attendees are driven and focused. Whether you’re looking for funding, a new job, your new co-founder or investment, the summit offers several ways to help you connect with the right people efficiently and effectively.

A Joint Declaration Reinforcing the Central and Eastern European and Western Balkans Technological Entrepreneurship Ecosystem will be signed by organizations representing startups from the Central and Eastern European EU Member States and from the Western Balkans. More Information will be available here.

Three reasons to attend:

Learn about European funding opportunities directly from Brussels.

Network with the key decision makers and tech leaders within EU, notably Central Eastern Europe and Western Balkans regions

Have access to business deals with corporates- investors – and public administrations for startups and scaleups.

Networking marketplace: If you want to get the most out of your participation to the event, take a few minutes to see who else is attending the Summit and arrange bilateral meetings with the participants that are of your interest. Participants can look each other up on the participants directory of the event page, and use the personal messaging feature to arrange a bilateral meeting during the event.

*This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.